


Tired Eyes; Done Running

by cpacesowboyed



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew Minyard Has Feelings, Established Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Forehead Kisses, M/M, POV Andrew Minyard, Post-Canon, Sleepy Kisses, Soft Neil Josten, Soft Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:21:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24595939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cpacesowboyed/pseuds/cpacesowboyed
Summary: Andrew Minyard just wanted to make hot chocolate and continue staring at nothing until sunrise.Neil Josten is an insufferable asshole who disrupts these plans.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 11
Kudos: 269





	Tired Eyes; Done Running

**Author's Note:**

> you ever listen to Dinah Shore and get really sad?

Andrew Minyard was lonely.

But just because he was lonely didn’t mean that he was alone. Andrew had the perfect amount of people his life. Not too many, and not too little. In fact, he could count that number on one hand.

He had Nicky, despite all the threats and warnings of murder. He had his brother, Aaron. Kevin, his dependent, and Neil. Neil who somehow managed to bring a mafia war down upon the Foxes within his first year of being with them. Neil, who miraculously tied the team together. Neil, who now slept next to Andrew on the bottom bunk of the dorm room they shared with the aforementioned dependent. Everything about Neil Josten spelled out chaos, but what was Andrew if not self-destructive. 

Insomnia wasn’t an uncommon thing for Andrew. Late nights spent staring into oblivion while the circles under his eyes darkened to unhealthy shades of purple. What _was_ uncommon, was when Neil wandered into the kitchen, black hoodie and orange boxers, while Andrew boiled water in an old kettle. One packet of powdered hot chocolate sat on the stove top.

“Will you make me a mug, too?” 

“No,” Andrew replied. ”Go back to bed.”

“I’m not tired.” He was rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Liar.” He reached into the box of hot chocolate packets, pulled out the second to last one, set it on the counter next to his own, and filled the kettle with more water. Someone on the floor above them was stomping around.

Neil perched himself on an empty counter top. Andrew usually regarded this with a comment like, “Get your ass off of the counter, Josten.” or “Really? We have chairs”. Tonight, however, Andrew couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Neil probably knew that he was silently berating him.  
  
“Thanks.”

Andrew settled into a spot between Neil’s legs. 

“Is that mine?” He plucked at the sleeve of the black hoodie Neil was wearing. 

“Yes. Are those mine?” Neil kicked his foot so it nudged Andrew’s leg.

The sweatpants were in fact Neil’s, Andrew could make up some excuse about how they were the first pair of pants he saw, but truth be told, the boys were privy to sharing clothes when the other Foxes weren't around to take notice. “Unimportant.” 

“Why are you awake?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

The sound of the air conditioner buzzed as Neil buried his face in Andrew’s hair. This was something Neil did often, but in Andrew’s opinion, not often enough.  
  
“Is that it?”

“I’d tell you if there was more.” And he would. Somehow, Andrew had learned to lean on Neil just as much as Neil had learned to lean on him. He’d never admit it though. According to everyone else, Andrew Minyard leaned on no one. He was a pillar.

“Okay.” And then, “yes or no?”

“Are you even lucid enough to know what you’re asking?” 

“Probably not.” His breath was warm against Andrew’s scalp. Neil twisted coils in his hair and Andrew began to wonder how much longer the water would take to boil. He hoped it was forever.

“Yes.”

Neil tilted Andrew’s head back and planted a kiss on his forehead, right between his eyebrows. Then, one on Andrew’s lips. It reminded him of a scene from one of the "Spiderman" movies the team watched during movie night. Andrew tended to try to ignore a lot of whatever the upperclassmen did but Tobey Maguire mixed with eidetic memory was a dangerous combination.

“What was that for?”

“I wanted to kiss you.”

“Idiot.” But he kissed a scar on Neil's face, and melted at the look he gave him. There were so many things to be said. 

A high-pitched noise broke the trance.

Neil yawned. “The water…” 

Water was poured into mugs. Packets were emptied. Spoons clinked against glass.

* * *

Andrew sat on the couch.

Neil was laying on it, snuggled in a blanket. He’d fallen asleep by the time Andrew had finished preparing their drinks, so he had to carry Neil over and bring him a blanket.

As he held his mug, Andrew allowed himself this indulgence: sticking his legs under the blanket and resting his feet on top of Neil's legs.

“Your feet are cold.” Neil twisted his body so he was laying on his back, peering at Andrew.

“Go back to sleep,” Andrew began to withdraw but stopped when Neil said:

“Stay.”

“We have a bed.”

“But Kevin’s in there.”

“Since when have you ever let Kevin stop you from doing anything?” 

“Stay.” he opened the blanket in an invitation.

Andrew accepted it. 

“This is stupid.” 

“You love it,” Then, “Your breath smells like chocolate.”

Andrew didn’t reply. Instead, he shuffled so that his back was to Neil and he was facing two mugs; one empty, one still scalding. 

He did love it. He loved being able to be so close to someone and not have it result in pain. He loved being able to be close to someone and actually like it. He loved that he wouldn’t have to say it. He loved that Neil understood anyway. 

“Yes.” Andrew said, before Neil could speak.

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

“Are you going to wrap your arm around me or not, Josten?”

Neil put his arm around Andrew and brought his face to the back of Andrew’s neck. He felt a couple of kisses on his nape, and finally, he settled into the crook of his neck.

“What is with you tonight?”

“I felt lonely. Not anymore, though.”

“You’d think that after all those years of running you wouldn’t feel such stupid emotions.” 

“I think I’m allowed to now. I’m done running.” His words were beginning to slur together.

Andrew was surprised to find himself a little bit more tired than he was an hour ago. He became less surprised when he felt the slow rise and fall of Neil’s chest against his back. 

He fumbled for Neil’s hand and intertwined their fingers. His eyes begged for rest and he relented. If Neil was right about anything (he usually never was, though) it was this:

He was allowed to feel certain things, because he was done running.

  
So, Andrew Minyard was lonely, even though he wasn’t alone. But he was beginning to think that he didn’t mind being lonely. Not if Neil was sometimes lonely too.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading :)  
> feel free to feed my ego down below


End file.
